Merle Malcom Tanner, 64, of Sumner died Sunday, February 15, 2009, at Tift Regional Medical Center. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 18, 2009, at Ty Ty United Methodist Church. Rev. Roger Mays and Rev. Dan Robinson will officiate with burial to follow in Macedonia Baptist Church Cemetery in Chula. Ronald Brownlee, Rev. Earl Steffens, Fred Hester, Nelson Malcom, Dr. Bill Hornback, Kent Belan and Michael Perlis will serve as pallbearers. The family will receive friends on Tuesday, February 17, 2009, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals.
Mrs. Tanner was born on July 2, 1944 in Tift County and was the daughter of Noel Alva Malcom and Essie Lesueur Malcom, both deceased. She was a retired bookkeeper from Tifton Orthopedics and a member of Ty Ty United Methodist Church. She was "Sunshine" to her family and friends.
Mrs. Tanner is survived by her husband, Franklin Tanner of Sumner; one son and daughter-in-law, Ben and Tonya Tanner of Tifton; one daughter and son-in-law, Beth and Frank Murphree of Troy, Alabama; one brother and sister-in-law, Bobby Nelson and Charlene Malcom of Ty Ty; one sister, Kathryn Malcom Vining of Ty Ty; one brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Anthony and Marglen Tanner; and six grandchildren, Hunter and Cason Murphree, and John, Rachael, Heather and Ross Tanner.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Ty Ty United Methodist Church, 144 South Church Street, Ty Ty, GA 31795; or the American Cancer Society, P. O. Box 7514, Tifton, GA 31793.